Charles w



(N0 C' W' GOBLE.

THIL'L GOUPLING.

Patented Sept. l, 1896. #ZI Fzy HV1/ENUM UNTTED STATES PATENT union.

CHARLES WV. GOBLE, OF CANYON, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF `ONE-HALF TO LEVISA. LANHAM, OF SAME PLACE.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,090, datedSeptember 1, 1896.

Application filed January 9, l 896. Serial No. 5 74,813. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern: f

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. GOBLE, of Canyon, in the county ofFremont and State of Colorado, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in ThilLCouplings, of which the following is a full, clear,andeXact description.

My invention relates to thill-couplings; and it has for its object toprovide such a coupling which will be simple,durable, and economic andcapable of attachment to any axle, the coupling being so constructed asto enable a person to expeditiously and conveniently change from a thillto a pole, or vice versa, when desired. g

A further object of the invention is to provide a thill-coupling inwhich there will be no necessity of b'urs and in which the head of thecoupling-pin will be concealed and whereby also there will becomparatively no portion of the device liable to produce rat.

tling or an unpleasant noise.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts inall the figures.

Figure 1 is a transverse section of an axle to which the coupling isattached, the coupling being shown in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the coupling and a portion of the axle. Fig. 3 is a planview of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the coupling disconnectedfrom the axle and illustrating a slight modification in the lock for thecoupling-pin. Fig. 5 is a Vertical section taken substantially on theline 5 5 of Fig. 6. Fig. G is a side elevation of the coupling having amodified form of block applied, and Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of thelocking-slide shown in Figs. 4, 5, and (i.

In carrying out the invention the body portion of the coupling consistsof a base-plate 10, having a lug 11 upon its upper surface at its rearend, the said base-plate being adapted for engagement with the bottom ofthe axle 12 and the lug for engagement with the rear of the axle, theplate being secured upon the axle by means of a clip 13 or an equivalentdevice, and the construction of the body of the clip may be said to becompleted by the addition of two jaws 14 and 15, one being at each sideof the forward portion of the baseplate. These jaws preferablyextendbeyond the forward end of the plate and at their rear endsabutagainst the axle 12.

The jaw 15 is provided with a recess 16 in its outer face, adapted toreceive the head 17 of the bolt or coupling-pin 18, the said pin beingpassed likewise through the opposing jaw, and the head of the bolt isiiush with the aforesaid outer face of the jaw l5. At each side of thecenter of the jaw 15, upon its outer face, a slideway 19 is produced,and these slideways are adapted to receive a lockingslide 20, itsdownward movement being limited usually by lugs 2l, formed at the topand engaging with the upper edges of the said ways. The locking-slidewhen in position in its ways will cover or conceal the head of the boltor coupling-pin 1S and effectually prevent the said pin from working outfrom the jaws. The plate is held in locking position on the jaws bymeans of a bifurcated spring 22, having its upper end attached to theupper portion of the outer face of the slide by means of a screw 23 orits equivalent, While at the bottom of each member of the spring a shoe24 is formed, the shoes extending in opposite directions; and the bodyportion ofeach member of the spring is provided with a handle 25,whereby the said members may be conveniently drawn together in orderthat the slide may be manipulated in its ways, and after the slide hasbeen carried down to its normal position on the jaw 15 the shoes 24 ofthe spring will engage with the bottom portions of the ways 19 andprevent the dislodgment of the slide until it is to be purposelyremoved. The coupling-pinv 18 is passed through a thill-iron after thesaid iron has been entered between the jaws 14 and 15 and after theslide 20 has been withdrawn from the body of the coupling.

In Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 I have illustrated a slight modification in thelocking mechanism or device. The slideways 19"L are beveled upon theirinner faces instead of being of angular construction, as shown in Fig.3, and the slide IOO 20 is correspondingly beveled, so that there ispractically a dovetail connection between the slide and its ways. Thebifurcated spring :is omitted in this form of the slide, and in the backOf the slide a recess 2G is made, as is best shown in Figs. 5 and 7, ofsufficient size to receive a plate-spring 27, and this spring is securedat its lower end within the slide-recess 2G and is provided at or nearits upper end with a handle 28, firmly secured to the central upperportion Of the spring and extending Outward through an Opening 29 in theslide, while in the Outer face of the jaw l5 an additional recess 30 isproduced, and in the base-wall of this recess the recess 16 is made,adapted to receive the head of the bolt. By drawing the spring 27outward the slide may be raised Or lowered, and when carried to itslower position the handle of the spring is released and the springwill-enter the recess 30 in the jaw l5, and by engagement with the upperwall of this recess will prevent the plate from being removed until suchremoval is desired. The relation of the spring to the upper wall of thisrecess is clearly shown in Fig. 5.

It is evident from the foregoing description l that this coupling may bereadily manipulated l either by an inexperienced person or by onepossessing but little strength, and that the thills or poles may becoupled to the axle in z an exceedingly convenient and expeditiousHaving thus described. my invention, I claim as new and desire tO secureby Letters Patentl. The combination with a separate clip, of athill-coupling having a base-plate provided at its rear end with anupwardly-projecting lug and forward spaced-apart jaws having holestherethrough, one of said jaws being provided with a recess adapted toreceive the head of the coupling-pin, vertical slideways On said latterjaw on each side of said recess, a slide movable in said ways arrangedto cover the head of said pin, a bifurcated spring attached at One endto said slide, the meinbers thereof having locking engagement with saidways and handles secured to each member of said spring adapted to freesaid spring from locking engagement with said slideways and raise saidslide from said ways, as and for the purpose set forth.`

2. 'A thill-coupling comprising a body portion adapted for attachment toan axle, forward spaced-apart jaws, one of said jaws having a recesswithin which the head of the coupling-pin is designed to fit, slidewayson i t the outer face of said recessed jaw at each side of the recesstherein, a slide movable in said ways designedV when in position toretain said pin in said jaws, a spring having bifurcated arms or membersforming at their lower ends Opposing shoes, said shoes engaging thelower portions of said ways when said slide is in its lowerlnostposition, and means for disengaging said shoes from said ways, as andfor the purpose set forth.

CHARLES lV. GOBLE. Witnesses:

THOMAS H. JOHNSON, BERT W. JOHNSON.

